Set 4 Flashcards
barrage
bar‧rage
/ˈbærɑːʒ $ bəˈrɑːʒ/
1 A barrage is continuous firing on an area with large guns and tanks: BOMBARDMENT, attack, bombing, assault
…The artillery barrage on the city centre was the heaviest since the ceasefire.
…The two fighters were driven off by a barrage of anti-aircraft fire.
2 A barrage of something such as criticism or complaints is a large number of them directed at someone, often in an aggressive way: ABUNDANCE, mass, superabundance, plethora, profusion; DELUGE, stream, storm, torrent, onslaught, flood, spate, tide, avalanche, hail, burst, blaze; outburst, outpouring
…a barrage of questions
…a barrage of criticism
…He was faced with a barrage of angry questions from the floor.
> 1859, “action of barring; man-made barrier in a stream” (for irrigation, etc.), from French barrer “to stop,” from barre “bar,” from Old French barre (see bar (n.1)).
> The artillery sense is attested by 1916, from World War I French phrase tir de barrage “barrier fire” intended to isolate the objective. As a verb by 1917. Related: Barraged; barraging.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
contortion
con‧tor‧tion
/kənˈtɔːʃən $ -ɔːr-/
1 Contortions are movements of your body or face into unusual shapes or positions.
…I had to admire the contortions of the gymnasts.
2 something difficult you have to do in order to achieve something
…He went through a series of amazing contortions to get Karen a work permit.
> early 15c., contorsioun, “act of twisting or wrenching,” from Old French contorsion and directly from Latin contortionem (nominative contortio), noun of action from past-participle stem of contorquere (see contort). Meaning “a contorted state or form” is from 1660s.
> contort (v.): “to twist or wrench out of shape,” early 15c. (implied in contorted), from Latin contortus, past participle of contorquere “to whirl, twist together,” from assimilated form of com- “with, together,” here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-) + torquere “to twist” (from PIE root *terkw- “to twist”). Related: Contorting.
> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Etymonline
enthrall
en‧thrall
/ɪnˈθrɔːl $ -ˈθrɒːl/
to make someone very interested and excited, so that they listen or watch something very carefully: CAPTIVATE, beguile, fascinate, enchant, bewitch, enrapture, delight, attract, allure, lure, mesmerize, hypnotize, grip, spellbind, arrest
→ be enthralled by sb/sth
or be enthralled with sb/sth
…The children were enthralled by the story she was telling.
…The passengers were enthralled by the scenery.
GRAMMAR
Enthrall is usually passive.
> late Middle English (in the sense ‘enslave’; formerly also as inthrall ): from en-1, in-2 (as an intensifier) + thrall: Old English thrǣl ‘slave’, from Old Norse thræll.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster
be on a par with sth
be on a par with sth
to be at the same level or standard
…The wages of clerks were on a par with those of manual workers.
…The new version of the software is on a par with the old one.
…His new book is on par with his bestsellers.
…We will have Christmas decorations on a par with anything on show at the Metro Centre.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster
jarring
jarring
1 incongruous in a striking or shocking way; clashing
…The telephone struck a jarring note in those Renaissance surroundings.
2 causing a physical shock, jolt, or vibration.
…The truck came to a jarring halt.
jar
1 to make someone feel annoyed or shocked; to have a harshly disagreeable or disconcerting effect.
jar on
…The screaming was starting to jar on my nerves.
2 to shake or hit something in a way that damages it or makes it loose.
3 to be different in style or appearance from something else and therefore look strange.
jar with
…There was a modern lamp that jarred with the rest of the room.
> late 15th century (as a noun in the sense ‘disagreement, dispute’): probably imitative.
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster
skirmish
skir‧mish
/ˈskɜːmɪʃ $ ˈskɜːr-/
noun
1 A skirmish is a minor battle: FIGTH, battle, clash, conflict, encounter, confrontation
…The young soldier was killed in a skirmish with government troops.
2 A skirmish is a short, sharp argument: ARGUMENT, quarrel, squabble
→ skirmish with/between/over
…Bates was sent off after a skirmish with the referee.
…a budget skirmish between the president and Congress
verb: FIGHT, do battle with, battle with.
…They skirmished briefly with soldiers from Fort Benton.
> Middle English (as a verb): from Old French eskirmiss-, lengthened stem of eskirmir, from a Germanic verb meaning ‘defend’.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Oxford Dictionary of English
unwieldy
unwieldy
1 not easily managed, handled, or used (as because of bulk, weight, complexity, or awkwardness); If you describe an object as unwieldy, you mean that it is difficult to move or carry because it is so big or heavy: CUMBERSOME, unmanageable, unhandy, unmaneuverable
…They came panting up to his door with their unwieldy baggage.
2 An unwieldy system, argument, or organization is difficult to control or manage because it is too complicated.
…The system is outdated and unwieldy.
…an unwieldy machine that requires two people to operate it
…Some companies began to create their own large language model-type systems to protect their data from the more extensive training dataset of GPT, but this can be unwieldy for smaller firms.
—Emilia David, The Verge, 28 Aug. 2023
…Chinese officials are keen on expanding the bloc to a possibly far more unwieldy acronym, with countries like Indonesia, Nigeria, Argentina and Saudi Arabia all knocking on the door.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023
> un- ‘not’ + wieldy “agile, easy to handle” ((14-20 centuries)), from wield
> The verb to wield means “to handle or exert something effectively.” A carpenter might wield a hammer with impressive dexterity, for example, or a talented orator might wield influence over an audience of listeners. Something that is “wieldy” is capable of being wielded easily, and while that adjective may not be particularly common, its antonym “unwieldy” finds ample use to describe anything that is awkward to handle, move, or manage. “Wield” and its relatives all derive via Middle English from Old English wieldan, meaning “to control.”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
shut-eye
shut-eye
run amok
run amok /əˈmɒk $ əˈmɑːk/
to suddenly behave in a very violent and uncontrolled way; If a person or animal runs amok, they behave in a violent and uncontrolled way: GO BERSERK, get out of control, rampage, run riot, riot, rush wildly/madly about, go on the rampage; storm, charge; behave like a maniac, behave wildly, behave uncontrollably; become violent, become destructive; go mad, go crazy, go insane
…Drunken troops ran amok in the town.
…A soldier was arrested after running amok with a vehicle through Berlin.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
serendipity
ser‧en‧dip‧i‧ty
/ˌserənˈdɪpəti/
[uncountable] Serendipity is the luck some people have in finding or creating interesting or valuable things by chance; If you find good things without looking for them, serendipity — unexpected good luck — has brought them to you.
Serendipity does not come from Latin or Greek, but rather was created by a British nobleman in the mid 1700s from an ancient Persian fairy tale. The meaning of the word, good luck in finding valuable things unintentionally, refers to the fairy tale characters who were always making discoveries through chance. You can thank serendipity if you find a pencil at an empty desk just as you walk into an exam and realize that you forgot yours.
…Some of the best effects in my garden have been the result of serendipity.
> “faculty of making happy and unexpected discoveries,” a rare word before 20c., coined by Horace Walpole in a letter to Horace Mann dated Jan. 28, 1754, but which apparently was not published until 1833. Walpole said he formed the word from the Persian fairy tale “The Three Princes of Serendip” (an English version was published in 1722) whose heroes “were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of” [Walpole].
> Collins English Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Etymonline
inconsolable
in‧con‧so‧la‧ble
/ˌɪnkənˈsəʊləbəl◂ $ -ˈsoʊ-/
If you say that someone is inconsolable, you mean that they are very sad and cannot be comforted.
…After the death of her baby she was inconsolable.
—inconsolably adverb
…She wept inconsolably.
> from in- ‘not’ + consolabilis ‘able to be consoled’: from Latin consolari, from con- ‘with’ + solari ‘soothe’.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English
platitude
plat‧i‧tude
/ˈplætɪtjuːd $ -tuːd/
a statement that has been made many times before and is not interesting or clever – used to show disapproval: CLICHÉ, truism, commonplace, hackneyed/trite/banal/overworked saying, banality
…He masks his disdain for her with platitudes about how she should believe in herself more.
…His excuse was the platitude ‘boys will be boys’.
…His speech was filled with familiar platitudes about the value of hard work and dedication.
…China may generously offer platitudes about peace but will try to avoid any kind of direct involvement, and Europe will find itself largely without leverage.
—Michael Kimmage and Hanna Notte, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2023
…This is a ridiculous truism and a stupid platitude.
—Joe Snell, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
> From platitude (1800-1900) French plat “flat, dull”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
sulk
verb
to be moodily silent; to be silent and refuse to smile or be pleasant to people because you are angry about something that they have done; When you are displeased by something and you let your gloomy mood show, you’re sulking; If you sulk, you are silent and bad-tempered for a while because you are annoyed about something: MOPE, brood, pout, be sullen, have a long face, be in a bad mood, be put out, be out of sorts, be out of humor, be grumpy, be despondent, be moody, be resentful, pine, harbor a grudge, eat one’s heart out, moon around; informal be in a huff, be down in the dumps, be miffed, glower
…He turned his back and sulked.
…Dad was sulking in his room.
…Dallas doesn’t have time to sulk after losing to the Packers.
—Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 14 Nov. 2022
noun
1 : the state of one sulking —often used in plural
…had a case of the sulks
2 : a sulky mood or spell: BAD MOOD, fit of bad humor, fit of ill humor, fit of pique, pet, mood, pout, temper, bad temper, the sulks, the doldrums, the blues; informal huff, grump; British informal strop, paddy
in/into a sulk
…He went off in a sulk.
…Mike could go into a sulk that would last for days.
…If she doesn’t get what she wants she goes into a sulk just like a child.
…She’s having a sulk.
…He spent the whole day in a sulk.
…The firm lips pouted in a sulk.
USAGE NOTES:
When you say someone sulks, the tone of the word suggests the person is overdoing it. You wouldn’t accuse a widow of sulking at her husband’s funeral, because she has a good reason to be sad and gloomy. Instead of sulking because you messed up your tuba solo during the concert, why not put your energy into practice? Or switch to violin.
> Back-formation from sulky, of uncertain origin. Probably from Middle English *sulke, *solke (attested in solcenesse (“idleness; laziness”), from Old English āsolcennys (“idleness; slothfulness; sluggishness; laziness”), from āsolcen (“sulky, languid”), from past participle of Old English āseolcan (“be idle; be lazy; be slow; be weak or slothful; languish”), from Proto-Germanic *selkaną (“to fall in drops; dribble; droop”), from Proto-Indo-European *sélǵ-o-nom, from *selǵ- (“to let go, send”).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Vocabulary.com, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline
convergence
convergence
lethargy
leth‧ar‧gy
/leh·thr·jee/
/ˈleθədʒi $ -ər-/
the feeling of having little energy or of being unable or unwilling to do anything: SLUGGISHNESS, inertia, inactivity, inaction, slowness, torpor, torpidity, lifelessness, dullness, listlessness, languor, languidness, stagnation, dormancy, laziness, idleness, indolence, shiftlessness, sloth, phlegm, apathy, passivity, ennui, weariness, tiredness, lassitude
…I snapped out of my lethargy and began cleaning the house.
…Apart from over-sleepiness, symptoms include: lethargy, overeating, depression, social problems and loss of libido.
> late 14c., litarge, “state of prolonged torpor or inactivity, inertness of body or mind,” from Medieval Latin litargia, from Late Latin lethargia, from Greek lēthargia “forgetfulness,” from lēthargos “forgetful,” apparently etymologically “inactive through forgetfulness,” from lēthē “a forgetting, forgetfulness” (see latent) + argos “idle” (see argon). The form with -th- is from 1590s in English. The Medieval Latin word also is the source of Old French litargie (Modern French léthargie), Spanish and Italian letargia.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
courtship
court‧ship
/ˈkɔːt-ʃɪp $ ˈkɔːrt-/
A courtship is a period in a romantic couple’s relationship when they are dating. Most partners go through a courtship before deciding to get married.
Courtship is an old-fashioned word, assuming that two people who love each other will eventually get married. If your uncle and aunt only met a few weeks before their wedding, you can say they had a brief courtship — and if you have friends who aren’t married but have been together for years, you could describe their decades-long courtship. The word is indeed old-fashioned, from the 16th century when it meant “paying court to a woman with intention of marriage.”
> Dictionary.com, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
bludgeon
blud‧geon
/ˈblʌdʒən/
noun
a heavy stick with a thick end, used as a weapon
…guards armed with bludgeons roamed the compound
…The Second Amendment continues to be used as a bludgeon against new gun regulations despite many legal experts arguing that the founding fathers never intended to allow unfettered access to guns.
—Julian Zelizer, CNN, 1 Apr. 2023
verb
1 to hit with heavy impact; To bludgeon someone means to hit them several times with a heavy object: BATTER, cudgel, club, strike, hit, beat, beat up, hammer, thrash; informal clobber
…He broke into the old man’s house and bludgeoned him with a hammer.
…At 34 years old in 1994, the younger Dahmer was bludgeoned to death by a fellow inmate at Wisconsin’s Columbia Correctional Institution.
—Christina Coulter, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2023
…The enclave has been bludgeoned by nearly eight weeks of Israeli airstrikes, artillery and ground fighting that have caused more than 13,300 deaths, its Health Ministry reported last week, and displaced more than 1.7 million people, according to the United Nations — 80 percent of its population.
—Ruby Mellen, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023
…An Orange County bartender accused of bludgeoning a woman to death with a fire extinguisher pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him Monday.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
2 to force or bully (someone) to do something; If someone bludgeons you into doing something, they make you do it by behaving aggressively: COERCE, force, compel, press, pressurize, pressure, drive, bully, browbeat, hector, badger, dragoon, steamroller; oblige, make, prevail on, constrain; informal strong-arm, railroad, bulldoze, put the screws on, turn/tighten the screws on
…She was determined not to be bludgeoned into submission.
3 bludgeon one’s way through/to/past etc sb/sth
to make one’s way by brute force
…He bludgeoned his way through the crowd.
> A plausible conjecture connects it with D[utch] blusden, blusten bruise, beat …. The E. word, if from this source may have been introduced as a cant term in the Elizabethan period, along with many other cant terms from the D[utch] which never, or not until much later, emerged in literary use. [Century Dictionary]
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
frothy
frothy
drub
drub
/drəb/
1 to hit or beat (someone) repeatedly
…He was drubbed with tiresome regularity by his classmates.
…A crowd was drubbing the purse snatcher when the police arrived on the scene.
2 INFORMAL
to beat someone easily, especially in a sports competition
…Cleveland drubbed Baltimore 9–0.
…We drubbed our traditional football rivals so badly that it was basically no contest.
…Corporate America might not have supported the US team if they kept getting drubbed.
…Getting drubbed in the 1984 presidential election apparently took the ambition to seek office out of him.
…Fox News also continues drubbing CNN in the ratings.
—Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 7 June 2023
> “to beat soundly,” 1630s (in an Oriental travel narrative), probably ultimately from Arabic darb “a beating,” from daraba “he beat up” (see discussion in OED). Related: Drubbed; drubbing.
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
suss out
suss out
1 to find or discover (something) by thinking
…They had to suss out whether he was telling the truth.
…I’m trying to suss him out. What kind of person is he?
…I think I’ve got him sussed out.
2 to inspect or investigate (something) in order to gain more knowledge
…He carefully sussed out the situation.
> Merriam-Webster
delirious
de‧lir‧i‧ous
/dɪˈlɪriəs/
1 not able to think or speak clearly especially because of fever or other illness; Someone who is delirious is unable to think or speak in a sensible and reasonable way, usually because they are very ill and have a fever: INCOHERENT, raving, babbling, irrational, hysterical, wild, feverish, frenzied; DERANGED, demented, unhinged, mad, insane, crazed, out of one’s mind; British informal swivel-eyed
…As the child’s temperature went up, he became delirious and didn’t know where he was.
…He was delirious with fever.
2 extremely excited or happy; Someone who is delirious is extremely excited and happy: ECSTATIC, euphoric, elated, thrilled, overjoyed, beside oneself, walking on air, on cloud nine/seven, in seventh heaven, jumping for joy, in transports of delight, carried away, transported, rapturous, in raptures, exultant, jubilant, in a frenzy of delight, hysterical, wild with excitement, frenzied; informal blissed out, over the moon, on a high; North American informal wigged out
…His tax-cutting pledge brought a delirious crowd to their feet.
…a group of delirious fans celebrating the team’s victory
delirious with
…He was delirious with joy.
—deliriously adverb
…Dora returned from her honeymoon deliriously happy.
…Barking deliriously, the dog bounded towards his mistress.
> delirium (n.): 1590s, “a disordered state, more or less temporary, of the mind, often occurring during fever or illness,” from Latin delirium “madness,” from deliriare “deviate, be deranged, be crazy, rave,” literally “go off the furrow,” a plowing metaphor, from phrase de lire, from de “off, away” (see de-) + lira “furrow, earth thrown up between two furrows,” from PIE root *lois- “track, furrow.” Meaning “violent excitement, mad rapture” is from 1640s.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English , Britannica, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
cut and dried
ˌcut and ˈdried
1 (of a situation) completely settled or decided; If you say that a situation or solution is cut and dried, you mean that it is clear and definite: CLEAR-CUT, settled, fixed, organized
…We are aiming for guidelines, not cut-and-dried answers.
…But the reality of the app’s influence on discussions around the war isn’t cut-and-dried.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023
2 lacking in originality or spontaneity; routine; boring:
…a lecture that was cut-and-dried
> early 18th century: originally used to distinguish the herbs of herbalists’ shops from growing herbs.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Dictionary.com, Merriam-Webster
stodgy
stodg‧y
/ˈstɒdʒi $ ˈstɑː-/
1 moving in a slow struggling way especially as a result of physical bulkiness
2 Stodgy food is very solid and heavy. It makes you feel very full, and is difficult to digest: INDIGESTIBLE /ˌɪndɪˈdʒestəbəl◂/, starchy, filling, heavy, solid, substantial, lumpy, leaden /ˈledn/
…He was disgusted with the stodgy pizzas on sale in London.
3
dull and uninspired; If you describe someone or something as stodgy, you dislike them or are bored by them because they are very old-fashioned or serious: BORING, DULL, deadly dull, dull as ditchwater, uninteresting, dreary, turgid, tedious, dry, wearisome, heavy-going, unimaginative, uninspired, unexciting, unoriginal, derivative, monotonous, humdrum; labored, wooden, ponderous, plodding, pedantic, banal, verbose
…The sitcom was offbeat and interesting in its first season, but has since become predictable and stodgy.
…They’re not cultured or interesting, they are boring stodgy old things.
…Persuading the stodgy organization to invest in tech companies was a challenge.
—Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 21 Nov. 2023
> Unknown, but possibly from stodge (“to stuff, satiate”), from stog, or a blend of stuffy + podgy.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline
delineate
de‧lin‧e‧ate
/duh·li·nee·ayt/
/dɪˈlɪnieɪt/
1 FORMAL
to describe, portray, or set forth with accuracy or in detail; to portray in words; describe or outline with precision; If you delineate something such as an idea or situation, you describe it or define it, often in a lot of detail: DESCRIBE, set forth, set out, present, outline, depict, portray, represent, characterize; map out, chart; define, detail, specify, identify, particularize
…The main characters are clearly delineated in the first chapter.
…The constitution carefully delineates the duties of the treasurer’s office.
…Kozol’s book delineates the differences between urban and suburban schools.
…Make certain that ideas are clearly delineated and most of all, avoid the use of professional jargon.
…Screenwriter Christopher Hampton introduces a large gallery of characters, subtly delineating the unspoken class biases that will keep Robbie, for all his confidence, charm and Cambridge education, an outsider.
—David Ansen, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2007
—delineation /dɪˌlɪniˈeɪʃən/ noun
…his razor-sharp delineation of ordinary life
2 FORMAL
to mark the outline of; If you delineate a border, you say exactly where it is going to be: OUTLINE, trace, draw the lines of, draw, sketch, block in, mark (out/off), delimit, mark the boundaries/limits of
…He delineated the state of Texas on the map with a red pencil.
…an agreement to delineate the border
…The boundary of the car park is delineated by a low brick wall.
…The smoking section has been clearly delineated.
—delineation /dɪˌlɪniˈeɪʃən/ noun
…differences in the delineation of the provincial borders
> 1550s, “to mark out in lines,” from Latin delineatus, past participle of delineare “to sketch out,” from de- “completely” (see de-) + lineare “draw lines,” from linea “line” (see line (n.)). From c. 1600 as “represent pictorially;” 1610s as “describe, represent to the mind or understanding, portray in words.” Related: Delineated; delineator; delineating.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Dictionary.com, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
budge
budge
/bʌdʒ/
1 : MOVE, SHIFT or to cause to move or change
2 to change your opinion, or to make someone change their opinion: CHANGE ONE’S MIND, GIVE WAY, GIVE IN, YIELD, acquiesce, compromise, adapt, retract, do a U-turn, eat one’s words; British do an about-turn.
…The government has refused to budge.
…Both sides say they will not budge.
budge on
…He won’t budge on the issue.
budge from
…Treacy refuses to budge from his principles.
> 1580s (intransitive) “to move, stir, change position, give way a little;” 1590s (transitive) “change the position of;” from French bougier “to move, stir” (Modern French bouger), from Vulgar Latin *bullicare “to bubble; seethe; move; stir” (hence, “to be in motion”), from Latin bullire “to boil” (see boil (v.)).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline
incessant
in‧ces‧sant
/uhn·seh·snt/
/ɪnˈsesənt/
USAGE NOTES:
-
Incessant implies ceaseless or uninterrupted activity.
- annoyed by the incessant quarreling
> mid-15c., from Old French *incessant or directly from Late Latin incessantem (nominative incessans) “unceasing,” from Latin in- “not” (see in- (1)) + cessans, present participle of cessare “to cease, go slow, give over, leave off, be idle,” frequentative of cedere (past participle cessus) “go away, withdraw, yield” (from PIE root *ked- “to go, yield”). Related: Incessantly (early 15c.).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
shabby
shab‧by
/ˈʃæbi/
> 1660s, of persons, “poorly dressed;” 1680s of clothes, furniture, etc., “of mean appearance, no longer new or fresh;” with -y (2) + shab “a low fellow” (1630s), extended from the original sense, “scabies.” This is from Middle English shabbe “skin disease characterized by eruptions, itching, etc.,” from Old English sceabb, the native form of Modern English scab (n.), which was influenced by Scandinavian (see sh).
> Shab (n.) survives in reference to a disease of sheep, but in Middle English shabbed meant “suffering from scabies, mange, etc.” (from Old English sceabbed).
> Shabby in the sense of “inferior in quality” is from 1805. The figurative meaning “contemptibly mean” is from 1670s. Similar formation in Middle Dutch schabbich, German schäbig “shabby.” Related: Shabbily; shabbiness. Carlyle has shabbish “somewhat shabby.”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Etymonline
bespoke
be‧spoke
/bɪˈspəʊk $ -ˈspoʊk/
1 specially made for a particular person, organization, or purpose : CUSTOM-MADE
…a wealthy man who can easily afford bespoke suits
…bespoke furniture
…Bespoke leather shoes cost an average 1,000 pounds a pair.
…bespoke software
…a bespoke wi-fi system
2 making and selling products, or providing services, specially for a particular person, organization, or purpose:
…a bespoke tailor/shoe maker
…a bespoke travel agency
…Eleven dining and drinking concepts, a spa, a kids club, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and even luxury helicopter tours round out this bespoke hotel.
—Hannah Selinger, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2023
> In sense “custom-made”, 1755, from earlier bespoken (c. 1600), form of bespeak, in sense “arrange beforehand” (1580s), a prefixed variant of speak; compare order, made-to-order. ~ Wiktionary
> The term was originally bespoken, meaning “spoken of or arranged beforehand.” Obviously, if you wanted a custom-made suit, you had to make arrangements before buying it. ~ Vocabulary.com
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary
nadir
na‧dir
/ˈneɪdɪə $ -dər/
1 the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and vertically downward from the observer
2 : the lowest point; The nadir of something such as someone’s career or the history of an organization is its worst time: THE LOWEST POINT, the all-time low, the lowest level, low-water mark, the bottom, as low as one can get, rock-bottom, the depths; zero; informal the pits
…1945 to 1946 was the nadir of Truman’s presidency.
…The relationship between the two countries reached a nadir in the 1920s.
…The discussion really reached its nadir when people resorted to name-calling.
…And then there was Justice League, which was supposed to be a zenith of Snyder’s directorial career but ended up being the nadir.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Nov. 2023
…Now, with bitcoin breaching $40,000 the crypto sector finally seems to be rising from its December 2022 nadir.
—Nina Bambysheva, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
> late Middle English (in nadir (sense 2 of the noun)): via French from Arabic naẓīr (as-samt) ‘opposite (to the zenith)’.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
assimilate
as‧sim‧i‧late
/əˈsɪməleɪt/
1 to become part of a group, country, society, etc., or to make someone or something become part of a group, country, society, etc.; When people such as immigrants assimilate into a community or when that community assimilates them, they become an accepted part of it: SUBSUME /səbˈsjuːm $ -ˈsuːm/, incorporate, integrate, absorb, engulf, swallow up, take over, co-opt, naturalize, adopt, embrace
…The Vietnamese are trying to assimilate themselves and become Americans.
assimilate into
…His family tried to assimilate into the White and Hispanic communities.
…Refugees find it difficult to become assimilated into the community.
2a to take into the mind and thoroughly understand; If you assimilate new ideas, techniques, or information, you learn them or adopt them: ABSORB, take in, acquire, pick up, grasp, comprehend, understand, learn, master; digest, ingest, imbibe, drink in, soak in; informal get the hang of, get
…I was speechless, still trying to assimilate the enormity of what he’d told me.
…It will take time to assimilate all these facts.
…There was a lot of information to assimilate at school.
…The person we are looking for must be flexible, creative, and able to assimilate new ideas.
2b to take in and utilize as nourishment : to absorb into the system; to absorb food or a substance into the tissue of a living organism
…The plants do not assimilate nitrates fast enough
…In this form vitamins can be easily assimilated by the body.
> early 15c., in physiology, “absorb into and make part of the body,” from Latin assimilatus, past participle of assimilare, assimulare “to make like, copy, imitate, assume the form of; feign, pretend,” from assimilated form of ad “to” (see ad-) + simulare “make similar,” from similis “like, resembling, of the same kind” (see similar). The meaning “make alike, cause to resemble,” and the intransitive sense “become incorporated into” are from 1620s. In linguistics, “bring into accordance or agreement in speech,” from 1854. Related: Assimilated; assimilating.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
daft
daft
1 If you describe a person or their behavior as daft, you think that they are stupid, impractical, or rather strange.
…He’s not so daft as to listen to rumors.
…I can lose a few pounds without resorting to daft diets.
…Me, jealous? Don’t be daft (=that is a silly idea).
…She’s as daft as a brush (=extremely silly).
2 → be daft about something
to be extremely interested in something.
…Tony’s still daft about cars!
> From Middle English dafte, defte (“gentle; having good manners; humble, modest; awkward; dull; boorish”), from Old English dæfte (“accommodating; gentle, meek, mild”)
> Sense deteriorated to “dull, awkward, uncouth, boorish” (c. 1300), perhaps via the notion of “humble.” Further evolution to “foolish, simple, stupid” (mid-15c.) and “crazy” (1530s) probably was influenced by analogy with daffe “halfwit, fool, idiot” (see daffy); the whole group probably has a common origin.
> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Wiktionary, Etymonline
dabble
dab‧ble
/ˈdæbəl/
1 to work or involve oneself superficially or intermittently especially in a secondary activity or interest; If you dabble in something, you take part in it but not very seriously: TOY WITH, dip into, scratch the surface of, flirt with, tinker with, trifle with, play with, fiddle with, dally with, have a smattering of
dabble in/at/with
…people who dabble in painting as a way of relaxing
…The financial squeeze has tempted many more to dabble in fraud.
…The four members of Blackpink have dabbled in solo careers to varying degrees amidst the group’s global rise over the past few years.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2023
…Like his big brother, Nathan has dabbled in the music industry.
—Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 12 Dec. 2023
2 to paddle, splash, or play in or as if in water: SPLASH, dip, paddle, wet, moisten, dampen, immerse, trail
…She sat by the pool, dabbling her feet in the cool water.
> 1550s, “to dip a little and often,” hence “to wet by splashing,” probably a frequentative of dab. Figurative sense of “do superficially” attested by 1620s. Related: Dabbled; dabbling. An Ellen Dablewife is in the Lancashire Inquests from 1336.
> dab (v.): early 14c., dabben “to strike,” of unknown origin, perhaps imitative. Compare Old Norse dabba “to tap, slap.” Modern sense of “strike gently with the hand, strike with a slight, quick pressure” developed by mid-16c., influenced by French dauber (see daub). Related: Dabbed; dabbing; dabber.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
replenish
re‧plen‧ish
/rɪˈplenɪʃ/
to fill something up again; If you replenish something, you make it full or complete again: REFILL, fill up, recharge, reload; STOCK UP, restock, restore, fill up, make up; replace, renew
…He replenished his supply of wood in preparation for the winter.
…Manufacturers are scheduling overtime work to replenish low inventories.
…Drink this—you need to replenish your fluids after your hike.
…All creatures need sleep to replenish their energies for the next awakening.
…While the number of missiles and their price tag has yet to be decided, Onodera said Japan should move quickly to build more missiles to replenish its own stocks.
—Isabel Reynolds and Yuki Hagiwara Bloomberg News (tns), arkansasonline.com, 26 Dec. 2023
…Increases in taxes will help replenish the fund.
…As more workers retire, new employees are needed to replenish the workforce.
> mid-14c., replenishen, “provide” with food or drink, also riches, beauty, etc., from Old French repleniss-, extended present-participle stem of replenir “to fill up,” from re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix based on the notion of “fill repeatedly,” thus “fill completely” (see re-), + -plenir, from Latin plenus “full” (from PIE root pele- (1) “to fill”).
> pele- (1): **pelə-*, Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to fill,” with derivatives referring to abundance and multitude.
It forms all or part of: accomplish; complete; compliment; comply; depletion; expletive; fele; fill; folk; full (adj.); gefilte fish; hoi polloi; implement; manipulation; nonplus; plebe; plebeian; plebiscite; pleiotropy; Pleistocene; plenary; plenitude; plenty; plenum; plenipotentiary; pleo-; pleonasm; plethora; Pliocene; pluperfect; plural; pluri-; plus; Pollux; poly-; polyamorous; polyandrous; polyclinic; polydactyl; polydipsia; Polydorus; polyethylene; polyglot; polygon; polygraph; polygyny; polyhedron; polyhistor; polymath; polymer; polymorphous; Polynesia; polyp; Polyphemus; polyphony; polysemy; polysyllabic; polytheism; replenish; replete; supply; surplus; volkslied.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
retreat
re‧treat
/rɪˈtriːt/
verb/noun
1 If you retreat, you move away from something or someone.
2 When an army retreats, it moves away from enemy forces in order to avoid fighting them.
3 If you retreat from something such as a plan or a way of life, you give it up, usually in order to do something safer or less extreme.
…To save yourself, you sometimes need to retreat from the world.
…From bouncing confidence she had retreated into self-pity.
> retreat (n.): c. 1300, retrete, “a step backward;” late 14c., “act of retiring or withdrawing; military signal for retiring from action or exercise,” from Old French retret, retrait, noun use of past participle of retrere “draw back,” from Latin retrahere “draw back, withdraw, call back,” from re- “back” (see re-) + trahere “to draw” (see tract (n.1)). Meaning “place of seclusion” is from early 15c.; sense of “establishment for mentally ill persons” is from 1797. Meaning “period of retirement for religious self-examination” is from 1756.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Etymonline
resumption
re‧sump‧tion
/rɪˈzʌmpʃən/
an act or instance of resuming : RESTART, RESTARTING, RECOMMENCEMENT, reopening, reinstitution; continuation, carrying on, taking up again, renewal
resumption of
…Both countries are now hoping for a quick resumption of diplomatic relations.
…The rain has stopped, but we’re still waiting for the resumption of the game.
…Resumption of peace talks is expected soon.
…Hundreds of people have been killed in Gaza since the resumption of fighting after a weeklong truce broke down last week, according to health authorities there.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 8 Dec. 2023
> resume (v.): c. 1400, resumen, “repossess, resume possession” (of goods, money, etc.); early 15c., “regain, take back, take to oneself anew” (courage, strength, hope, etc.); from Old French resumer (14c.) and directly from Latin resumere “take again, take up again, assume again,” from re- “again” (denoting “repetition of an action;” see re-) + sumere “to take, obtain, buy,” from sus‑, variant of sub‑ “up from under” + emere “to take” (from PIE root em- “to take, distribute”). From mid-15c. as “recommence, continue (a practice, custom, occupation, etc.), begin again after interruption;” also “begin again.” The intransitive sense of “proceed after interruption” is from 1802. Related: Resumed; resuming.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
sore
sore
/sɔː $ sɔːr/
adjective
1 If part of your body is sore, it causes you pain and discomfort: PAINFUL, in pain, hurting, hurt, aching, throbbing, smarting, stinging, burning, irritating, irritated, agonizing, excruciating; inflamed, angry, red, reddened, sensitive, tender, delicate, chafed, raw, bruised, wounded, injured
…It’s years since I’ve had a sore throat like I did last night.
sore from
…My arms are sore from all the lifting.
…My chest is still sore from the surgery.
2 INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
If you are sore about something, you are angry and upset about it: UPSET, ANGRY, annoyed, cross, angered, furious, enraged, in a temper, bothered, vexed, displeased, disgruntled, dissatisfied, indignant, exasperated, irritated, galled, irked, put out, aggrieved, offended, affronted, resentful, piqued, nettled, ruffled, in high dudgeon; informal aggravated, miffed, peeved, riled, hacked off, peed off; British informal narked, eggy, cheesed off, browned off, brassed off, not best pleased; North American informal teed off, ticked off, steamed; vulgar slang pissed off
…Mac’s still sore because I didn’t invite him.
…They are sore about losing to England in the quarter-finals.
sore at
…Don’t be sore at me – I just forgot to tell you.
3 BRITISH
used to emphasize how serious, difficult etc something is
…Inner city schools are in sore need of extra funds.
noun
a painful, often red, place on your body caused by a wound or infection; A sore is a painful place on the body where the skin is infected: INFLAMMATION, swelling, lesion; wound, scrape, abrasion, chafe, cut, laceration, graze, contusion, bruise; running sore, ulcer, ulceration, boil, abscess, carbuncle, canker
…They were starving and covered with sores.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary
at any cost
at any cost
(also at all costs)
regardless of the price to be paid or the effort needed; If you say that something must be done at any cost, you are emphasizing that it must be done, even if this requires a lot of effort or money.
…He was anxious to avoid war at all costs.
…We realized we had to fight the lawsuit at any cost.
…This book is of such importance that it must be published at any cost.
…Please, save my husband at any cost—I can’t live without him!
…He ordered the army to recapture the camp at any cost.
> Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, The Free Dictionary
stout
stout
/staʊt/
1 A stout person is rather fat: FAT, fattish, plump, portly, rotund, roly-poly, pot-bellied, round, dumpy, chunky, broad in the beam, overweight, fleshy, paunchy, corpulent; buxom, well upholstered, well covered, well padded, of ample proportions, ample, rounded, well rounded; stocky, burly, bulky, hefty, meaty, heavily built, solidly built, thickset, heavyset, sturdy, well built; informal hulking, tubby, pudgy, beefy, porky, blubbery, poddy; British informal podgy, fubsy, lard-arsed; North American informal zaftig, corn-fed
…He was a tall, stout man with gray hair.
2 Stout shoes, branches, or other objects are thick and strong: STRONG, sturdy, heavy, solid, substantial, robust, tough, strongly made, durable, hardwearing; thick
…I hope you’ve both got stout shoes.
…The old man picked up a stout stick that lay by his feet.
…a stout oak door
3 If you use stout to describe someone’s actions, attitudes, or beliefs, you approve of them because they are strong and determined: DETERMINED, full of determination, vigorous, forceful, spirited, stouthearted; STAUNCH, steadfast, stalwart, firm, resolute, unyielding, unbending, unfaltering, unswerving, unwavering, unflinching, stubborn, dogged; BRAVE, bold, plucky, courageous, valiant, valorous, gallant, fearless, undaunted, dauntless, doughty, mettlesome, unafraid, intrepid, manly, heroic, lionhearted; North American rock-ribbed; informal gutsy, spunky
stout defense/support/resistance
…He put up a stout defense in court.
—stoutly adverb
…She stoutly denied the rumors.
USAGE NOTES:
-
Stout suggests an ability to endure stress, pain, or hard use without giving way.
- stout hiking boots
> From Middle English stoute, from Old French estout (“brave, fierce, proud”) (Modern French dialectal stout (“proud”)), from earlier Old French estolt (“strong”), from Frankish *stolt, *stult (“bold, proud”), from Proto-Germanic *stultaz (“bold, proud”), from Proto-Indo-European *stel- (“to put, stand”).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary
unpalatable
un‧pal‧at‧a‧ble
/ʌnˈpælətəbəl/
1 not pleasant to taste; If you describe food as unpalatable, you mean that it is so unpleasant that you can hardly eat it: UNAPPETIZING, uninviting, unappealing, unsavory, off-putting, inedible, uneatable; bitter, sour, rancid; disgusting, revolting, nauseating, sickening, horrible, tasteless, flavorless, bland, insipid; informal yucky, sick-making, gross
…unpalatable wines
2 If you describe an idea as unpalatable, you mean that you find it unpleasant and difficult to accept : UNPLEASANT, DISAGREEABLE, displeasing, unattractive, regrettable, unwelcome, upsetting, distressing, lamentable, repugnant, nasty, horrible, dreadful, hateful, distasteful, offensive, objectionable, obnoxious, repulsive, repellent, vile, foul
…It is an unpalatable fact that rape makes a good news story.
…It was only then that I began to learn the unpalatable truth about John.
…The unpalatable truth is that the team isn’t getting any better.
unpalatable to
…an idea that’s unpalatable to most people
> 1680s, from un- (1) “not” + palatable (adj.). Related: Unpalatably.
> palatable (adj.): 1660s, “good-tasting, agreeable to the taste,” from palate + -able. Figurative sense of “agreeable to the mind or feelings” is from 1680s. Related: Palatably; palatability
> palate (n.): /ˈpælət/ late 14c., “roof of the mouth of a human or animal; the parts which separate the oral from the nasal cavity,” from Old French palat and directly from Latin palatum “roof of the mouth,” also “a vault,” which is perhaps of Etruscan origin [Klein], but de Vaan suggests an IE root meaning “flat, broad, wide.” It was popularly considered to be the seat of the sense of taste, hence transferred meaning “sense of taste” (late 14c.), which also was in classical Latin.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Etymonline
incestuous
in‧ces‧tu‧ous
/ɪnˈsestʃuəs/
1 involving sexual activity between people who are closely related in a family
…an incestuous relationship
2 involving only a close or limited group of people, who do not communicate or do business with people outside the group – used to show disapproval; If you describe a group of people as incestuous, you disapprove of the fact that they are not interested in ideas or people from outside the group.
…lobbyists who have an incestuous relationship (=an excessively close relationship) with politicians
…Journalists and politicians often have a rather incestuous relationship.
…an incestuous political community
…Its inhabitants are a close and incestuous lot.
…Hospitals are very incestuous places.
…The music industry is an incestuous business.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Britannica, Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries
patio
pat‧i‧o
/pa·tee·ow/
/ˈpætiəʊ $ -oʊ/
a paved outdoor area adjoining a house: TERRACE, courtyard, veranda, loggia, court, plaza, quadrangle, quad, cloister; North American sun deck, deck, porch
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
transpire
transpire
1 FORMAL
If it transpires that something is true, you discover that it is true.
…It transpired that Paolo had left his driving licence at home.
2 FORMAL
to happen:
…Exactly what transpired remains unknown.
> late Middle English (in the sense ‘emit as vapor through the surface’): from French transpirer or medieval Latin transpirare, from Latin trans- ‘through’ + spirare ‘breathe’. Sense 1 (mid 18th century) is a figurative use comparable with ‘leak out’, and the erroneous meaning “take place, happen” is almost as old, being first recorded 1755. Related: Transpired; transpiring.
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Etymonline
hubris
hu‧bris
/hyoo·bruhs/
/ˈhjuːbrɪs/
FORMAL
excessive pride, presumption or arrogance (originally toward the gods); If you accuse someone of hubris, you are accusing them of arrogant pride: ARROGANCE, conceit, conceitedness, haughtiness, pride, vanity, self-importance, self-conceit, pomposity, superciliousness, feeling of superiority; French hauteur; informal uppitiness, big-headedness
…The self-assuring hubris among economists was shaken in the late 1960s.
…His failure was brought on by his hubris.
…His hubris cost him whatever slim chance he had of actually pulling it off.
…The entrepreneur, who positioned himself as the face of the industry when the prices of digital coins like Bitcoin and Ether were surging, emerged last year as a cautionary tale of the unfettered hubris and risk-taking that cost customers billions of dollars when the crypto market crashed.
—J. Edward Moreno, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023
> Hubris Comes From Ancient Greece: English picked up both the concept of hubris and the term for that particular brand of cockiness from the ancient Greeks, who considered hubris a dangerous character flaw capable of provoking the wrath of the gods. In classical Greek tragedy, hubris was often a fatal shortcoming that brought about the fall of the tragic hero. Typically, overconfidence led the hero to attempt to overstep the boundaries of human limitations and assume a godlike status, and the gods inevitably humbled the offender with a sharp reminder of their mortality.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Wiktionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
tertiary
ter‧tia‧ry
/ˈtɜːʃəri $ ˈtɜːrʃieri, -ʃəri/
third in place, degree, or order
> 1650s, “of the third order, rank, degree, etc.,” from Latin tertiarius “of or pertaining to a third,” from tertius “third, a third,” from root of tres “three” (see three). The geological sense (with capital T-) of “era after the Mesozoic” (which formerly was called the Secondary) is attested from 1794, after Italian terziari, used in this sense 1760 by Italian geologist Giovanni Arduino (1714-1795).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Etymonline
reprisal
re‧pri‧sal
/rɪˈpraɪzəl/
an act of retaliation; If you do something to a person in reprisal, you hurt or punish them because they have done something violent or unpleasant to you: RETALIATION, counterattack, counterstroke, comeback; revenge, vengeance, retribution, requital, recrimination, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, tit for tat, getting even, redress, repayment, payback; Latin lex talionis; informal a taste of one’s own medicine
…Witnesses are unwilling to testify through fear of reprisals.
…They didn’t tell the police for fear of reprisal.
…Enemy officers suffered harsh reprisals.
…The toys’ reprisal comes after more than 25 years off the market.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2023
reprisal against
…There were reprisals against unarmed civilians.
…The allies threatened economic reprisals against the invading country.
in reprisal (for sth)
…There were fears that some of the Western hostages might be killed in reprisal.
…Alfred was shot in reprisal for the killing of a rival gang member.
…The hostages were taken in reprisal for the bombing.
…In reprisal, Hamas fired rockets at the city for the first time in seven years.
—Jonah E. Bromwich, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2023
> Reprisal comes from the French for taking back, and used to mean the seizure of property as a compensation for some earlier loss. Now we use it more in the sense of a retaliatory attack. When Germany bombed London during World War II, the British reprisals included the bombing of Berlin. Reprisal doesn’t always have to be about war; you can use it for any act of retaliation.
> early 15c., reprisail, “the seizing of property or citizens of another nation in equivalent retaliation for loss inflicted on one’s own,” from Anglo-French reprisaille (mid-14c.), Old French reprisaille (Modern French représaille), from early Italian ripresaglia, from ripreso, past participle of riprendere “to take back,” from Latin reprendere, earlier reprehendere “to seize, restrain,” literally “pull back, hold back” (see reprehend).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Vocabulary.com, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
brainchild
brain‧child
/ˈbreɪntʃaɪld/
a product of one’s creative effort; Someone’s brainchild is an idea or invention that they have thought up or created.
brainchild of
…The festival was the brainchild of Reeves.
> “idea, creation of one’s own mind,” 1850, from brain (n.) + child. Earlier was the alliterative brain-brat (1630).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
valediction
val‧e‧dic‧tion
/ˌvæləˈdɪkʃən/
FORMAL
the act of saying goodbye, especially in a formal speech; FAREWELL, goodbye, adieu, leave-taking, parting, send-off; Latin vale
…He left her without a valediction.
…Dorfman’s new book, his thirty-eighth, feels like a valediction to a career that, until now, has been varied in its instruments but consistent in its vision.
—Jonathan Dee, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
…The film, which intersperses clips from Varda’s career with footage of her speaking to an adoring audience, is both an introduction and a valediction.
—New York Times, 4 Oct. 2019
> “a farewell, a bidding farewell,” 1610s, from past participle stem of Latin valedicere “bid farewell, take leave,” from vale “farewell!,” second person singular imperative of valere “be well, be strong” (from PIE root *wal- “to be strong”) + dicere “to say” (from PIE root *deik- “to show,” also “pronounce solemnly”).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
gung-ho
gung-ho
/ˌɡʌŋ ˈhəʊ $ -ˈhoʊ/
INFORMAL
extremely or overly zealous or enthusiastic; If you say that someone is gung ho, you mean that they are very enthusiastic or eager to do something, for example to fight in a battle.
…The sporting opportunities here should suit the most gung-ho of tourists.
…We were really gung ho about joining the team.
…He was gung ho about his accounting class.
…Even financial firms, perhaps the most gung ho about return-to-office policies, have mostly caved, resigning themselves to a hybrid future that has, in many cases, stalled out at two-day-a-week callbacks.
—Curbed, 15 June 2022
…Casterline urged his client to jump on the next flight, but Adams — who was always gung ho for football — was suddenly hesitant.
—New York Times, 9 Apr. 2021
> Second World War: from Chinese gōnghé, taken to mean ‘work together’ and adopted as a slogan by US Marines: Gung ho!, motto (interpreted as meaning “work together”) adopted by certain U.S. marines, from Chinese (Beijing) gōnghé, short for Zhōngguó Gōngyè Hézuò Shè Chinese Industrial Cooperative Society 工業合作社
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary of English
petrified
petrified
whammy
wham‧my
/ˈwæmi/
INFORMAL
Whammy is used in expressions such as double whammy and triple whammy to indicate that two or three unpleasant or difficult situations occur at the same time, or occur one after the other.
→ double/triple whammy
two or three unpleasant things that happen at or around the same time and cause problems or difficulties for someone or for people in general
…This is a double whammy for public sector workers.
…The triple whammy of skyrocketing labor costs, the challenges of leading a hybrid remote team and a tightening economy that is forcing clients to question every budget line item has proven to be a challenge.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023
→ put the whammy on somebody
to use magic to make someone have bad luck
…If you tell anyone about this, I swear I’ll put the whammy on you.
> often double whammy, “hex, evil eye,” 1932, of unknown origin, popularized 1941 in Al Capp’s comic strip “Li’l Abner,” where it was the specialty of Evil-Eye Fleegle.
> The origin of whammy is not entirely certain, but it is assumed to have been created by combining wham (a solid blow) with the whimsical -y ending. The first example of whammy in print occured in 1940, but the word was popularized in the 1950s by the cartoonist Al Capp in the comic strip Li’l Abner. The character Evil-Eye Fleegle could paralyze someone with the sheer power of his gaze. The single whammy was a look with one eye, and the fearsome double whammy used both eyes. As you may know, double whammy has also found a place in English as a general term. It means “a combination of two adverse forces, circumstances, or effects” - in other words, a one-two punch.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
ebb
ebb
noun
1 the reflux of the tide toward the sea; The ebb or the ebb tide is one of the regular periods, usually two per day, when the sea gradually falls to a lower level as the tide moves away from the land: RECEDING, going out, flowing back, retreat, retreating, drawing back, abating, subsiding
…the spring ebb tide
…We decided to leave on the ebb at six o’clock next morning.
2 a point or condition of decline: ABATEMENT, subsiding, easing, waning, dwindling, petering out, dying away, dying down, dying out, fading away, de-escalation, decrease, decline, diminution, diminishing, lessening
…Morale seems to have reached its lowest ebb.
be at a low ebb
to be in a bad state or condition
…Our spirits were at a low ebb.
…Moreover, many political experts in both Israel and the U.S. have strong doubts that Mr. Netanyahu, whose support in polls is at low ebb, can survive politically after the war.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Dec. 2023
verb
1 to recede from the flood; When the tide or the sea ebbs, its level gradually falls: RECEDE, GO OUT, retreat, flow back, draw back, fall back, fall away, abate, subside /səbˈsaɪd/
…waiting for the tide to ebb
2 (also ebb away) to gradually decrease; If someone’s life, support, or feeling ebbs, it becomes weaker and gradually disappears: DIMINISH, dwindle, wane, fade away, melt away, peter out, decline, die away, die down, die out, flag, let up, lessen, decrease, weaken, dissolve, disappear, come to an end; deteriorate, decay, degenerate
…Linda’s enthusiasm began to ebb away.
…His popularity ebbed.
…Food commodity prices are ebbing after being stirred up by the pandemic, extreme weather and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with a United Nations measure of global prices down nearly 11% in September from a year earlier.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 15 Nov. 2023
> Old English ebba “falling of the tide, low tide,” perhaps from Proto-Germanic *af- (source also of Old Frisian ebba, Old Saxon ebbiunga, Middle Dutch ebbe, Dutch eb, German Ebbe), from PIE root *apo- “off, away.” Figurative sense of “decline, decay, gradual diminution” is from late 14c. Ebb-tide is from 1776.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
finite
fi‧nite
/ˈfaɪnaɪt/
lucid
lu‧cid
/ˈluːsɪd/
1 expressed in a way that is clear and easy to understand: INTELLIGIBLE, comprehensible, understandable, cogent, coherent, communicative, articulate, eloquent; clear, clear-cut, crystal clear, transparent; plain, simple, direct, vivid, sharp
…You must write in a clear and lucid style.
…a lucid account of the history of mankind
…a lucid analysis of the situation
…Miranda Seymour’s lucid biography arrives as the general reader’s guide to Mary Shelley’s ascent to academic cult status.
…Though small and frail, he was a powerful and lucid debater.
…Churchland’s Matter and Consciousness is an equally lucid introduction to the philosophy of mind.
2 If someone is lucid, they are thinking clearly again after a period of illness or confusion: RATIONAL, sane, in one’s right mind, in possession of one’s faculties, of sound mind, able to think clearly; normal, balanced, well balanced, sensible, clearheaded, right-minded, sober; Latin compos mentis; informal all there, with all one’s marbles
…In her more lucid moments the old lady would talk about her past.
—lucidly adverb
…He was lucidly aware of political realities.
> Lucid comes from the Latin verb lucere, meaning “to shine,” which is reflected in its meanings “filled with light” or “shining.” It also describes someone whose mind is clear or something with a clear meaning. ~ Merriam-Webster
> late 16th century (in lucid (sense 2)): from Latin lucidus (perhaps via French lucide or Italian lucido) from lucere ‘shine’, from lux, luc- ‘light’. ~ Oxford Dictionary of English
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster
rigid
ri‧gid
/ˈrɪdʒɪd/
1 Laws, rules, or systems that are rigid cannot be changed or varied, and are therefore considered to be rather severe: STRICT, set, fixed, exact
…Several colleges in our study have rigid rules about student conduct.
…Hospital routines for nurses are very rigid.
2 If you disapprove of someone because you think they are not willing to change their way of thinking or behaving, you can describe them as rigid: INFLEXIBLE, harsh, stern, adamant
…She was a fairly rigid person who had strong religious views.
…My father is very rigid in his thinking.
> late Middle English: from Latin rigidus, from rigere ‘be stiff’.
> Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English
cringe
cringe
/krɪndʒ/
If you cringe at something, you feel embarrassed or disgusted, and perhaps show this feeling in your expression or by making a slight movement: SHRINK, FLINCH, QUAIL, RECOIL
…The acquisition announcement set off privacy alarms everywhere, and people cringed at the idea of Amazon gaining access to maps of millions of homes.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
…The cringe cartoon comedy from Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-Head) and Greg Daniels (King of the Hill) aims at laughter from uncomfortable interviews with live guests like Hugh Laurie, Tegan and Sara, Mike Tyson and Jonathan Van Ness.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Jan. 2024
…Like the best cringe comedy, the whole thing started out serious, got sort of funny, then very funny, then gratingly unfunny and awkward, and finally just demonically hilarious.
—Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2023
> The verb is derived from Middle English crengen (“to bend in a haughty manner; to condescend”) [and other forms], from Old English *crenċan, *crenċġan, *crenġan (“to cause to fall or turn”), the causative of crinċġan (“to yield; to cringe; to fall; to die, perish”), from Proto-Germanic *krangijaną (“to cause to fall; to cause to turn”), from Proto-Germanic *kringaną, *krinkaną (“to fall; to turn; to yield”) (from Proto-Indo-European *grenǵʰ- (“to turn”)) + *-janą (suffix forming causatives with the sense ‘to cause to do (the action of the verb)’ from strong verbs). The English word is cognate with Danish krænge (“to turn inside out, evert”), Dutch krengen (“to careen, veer”), Scots crenge, creenge, creinge, crienge (“to cringe; to shrug”), Swedish kränga (“to careen; to heel, lurch; to toss”), and West Frisian kringe (“to pinch; to poke; to push; to insist, urge”); and is a doublet of crinkle.
> Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary
oversold
o‧ver‧sold
/ˌəʊvəˈsəʊldˌoʊvərˈsoʊld/
an oversold financial market has prices that have fallen too far
…“The market is oversold, ” he said. “It’s time to buy low-priced blue chips.”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
irrigation
irrigation
/ˌɪrəˈɡeɪʃən/
1 : the watering of land by artificial means to foster plant growth
…The destruction of Kakhovka Dam has eliminated irrigation for large areas of agricultural land in southern Ukraine, harming food production and the Ukrainian economy.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2023
2 : the therapeutic flushing of a body part with a stream of liquid
> irrigate (v.): “supply land with water,” 1610s, from Latin irrigatus, past participle of irrigare “lead water to, refresh, irrigate, flood,” from assimilated form of in- “into, in, on, upon” (from PIE root en “in”) + rigare “to water, to moisten,” of uncertain origin. Perhaps [Watkins] from PIE *reg- (2) “moist” (see rain (n.)). De Vaan offers as possibilities the root of regere “to direct, lead,” on the notion of leading water onto the fields, or to the root of rigere “be stiff,” literally “stretch.” The first better suits the sense, but has phonetic problems.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
toil
toil
/tɔɪl/
verb
1 (also toil away) to work very hard for a long period of time; When people toil, they work very hard doing unpleasant or tiring tasks: WORK HARD, labor, work one’s fingers to the bone, work like a dog, work day and night, exert oneself, keep at it, keep one’s nose to the grindstone, grind away, grub away, plow away, plod away; informal slog away, peg away, beaver away, plug away, put one’s back into something, work one’s guts out, work one’s socks off, knock oneself out, sweat blood; British informal graft away, fag; British vulgar slang work one’s balls/arse/nuts off; North American vulgar slang work one’s ass/butt off
…workers toiling in the fields
…Workers toiled long hours.
…People who toiled in dim, dank factories were too exhausted to enjoy their family life.
…Nora toils away serving burgers at the local cafe.
…Amid wild cost fluctuations and extreme weather conditions, a small army of workers toiled for years at Wyckoff’s Christmas Tree Farm in Belvidere, N.J.
—Stefanos Chen Bryan Anselm, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2023
toil at
…She has toiled away at the violin for years.
…I’ve been toiling away at this essay all weekend.
2 to move slowly and with great effort; If you toil somewhere, you move there slowly and with difficulty, usually because you are very tired: STRUGGLE, move with difficulty, labor, trudge, tramp, traipse, slog, plod, trek, footslog, sweat, drag oneself, fight (one’s way), push; British informal trog, yomp; North American informal schlep
toil up/through/along etc
…They were toiling up a steep hill.
…They toiled slowly up the hill.
…She toiled up the stairs, and saw that a light showed on the landing above.
noun
hard unpleasant work done over a long period; Toil is unpleasant work that is very tiring physically: HARD WORK, toiling, labor, slaving, struggle, effort, exertion, application, industry, grind, slog, blood, sweat, and tears, drudgery; informal sweat, elbow grease; British informal graft
…Lindi has achieved her comfortable life only after years of hard toil.
USAGE NOTES:
-
Toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.
- his lot would be years of back-breaking toil
> toil (n.1): “hard work,” c. 1300, originally “turmoil, contention, dispute,” from Anglo-French toil (13c.), from toiler “agitate, stir up, entangle, writhe about,” from Old French toeillier “drag about, make dirty” (12c.), usually said to be from Latin tudiculare “crush with a small hammer,” from tudicula “mill for crushing olives, instrument for crushing,” from Latin tudes “hammer,” from PIE *tud-, variant of *(s)teu- “to push, stroke, knock, beat” (see obtuse). Sense of “hard work, labor” (1590s) is from the related verb (see toil (v.)).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
pristine
pris‧tine
/ˈprɪstiːn/
1 Pristine things are extremely clean or new: IMMACULATE, in perfect condition, perfect, in mint condition, as new, unspoiled, spotless, flawless, clean, fresh, new, virgin, pure, unused; unmarked, unblemished, untarnished, untouched, unsullied, undefiled
…Now the house is in pristine condition.
…My office is a mess but her office is always pristine.
…He was wearing a pristine white shirt.
2 something that is pristine is in the same condition as when it was first made
…The car has been restored to pristine condition.
…The photographic archive of the Crown Agents in London contains a magnificent record of these stations in their pristine condition.
3 not spoiled or damaged in any way
…This small oceanside town is located on Anastasia Island, a pristine wildlife haven, and offers broad Atlantic beaches perfect for wandering.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2024
> 1530s, “pertaining to the earliest period, of a primitive style, ancient,” from French pristin and directly from Latin pristinus “former, early, original,” from Old Latin pri “before,” from PIE root per- (1) “forward,” hence “in front of, before, first.” Meaning “unspoiled, untouched, pure” is from 1899 (implied in a use of pristinely) is extended from such expressions as pristine wilderness, but according to OED [2nd ed. print], this is regarded as ignorant “by many educated speakers.”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Etymonline
pantheon
pan‧the‧on
/ˈpænθiən $ -θiɑːn/
/pan·thee·aan/
1a all the gods of a people or religion collectively
…the Greek and Roman pantheons
1b a temple dedicated to all the gods
2 a group of illustrious or notable persons or things; a small group of people or things that are considered to be the most important ones of their type
…a great album that guarantees her place in the pantheon of jazz singers
…The 38th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Friday, bringing Kate Bush, Willie Nelson, George Michael, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Rage Against the Machine and the Spinners into pop music’s leading pantheon.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023
…Who deserves a place in the pantheon of black civil rights heroes?
…Football aficionados¹ will argue for years about where to place this game in the pantheon of classics.
…That earthiness helps make a song that was already part of the modern folk pantheon seem eternal, as if etched in stone.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023
- ¹ a‧fi‧cio‧na‧do /əˌfɪʃəˈnɑːdəʊ $ -doʊ/: someone who is very interested in a particular activity or subject and knows a lot about it
> Old English pantheon (referring especially to the Pantheon, a large circular temple in Rome): via Latin from Greek pantheion, from pan ‘all’ + theion ‘holy’ (from theos ‘god’).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster
proverbial
pro‧ver‧bi‧al
/prəˈvɜːbiəl $ -ɜːr-/
1 as used in a proverb or other phrase; (of a statement) commonly known, esp. because it is from a proverb or saying known by many people, or because it expresses a truth known by a particular group of people; You use proverbial to show that you know the way you are describing something is one that is often used or is part of a popular saying : commonly spoken of
the proverbial something
…Yelling at me was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.
…The limousine sped off down the road in the proverbial cloud of dust.
…I keep running across people who speak fondly about what they imagine to be the comforts of autocracy, who long for the assurances of the proverbial man on the white horse likely to do something hard and puritanical about the moral relativism that has made a mess of the cities, the schools, and prime-time television.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper’s, November 1990
…January is the rainiest month, but there’s the proverbial silver lining.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2024
…As another year comes to an end and the world seems to hit the proverbial pause button, the temptation to look ahead is too great to ignore.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 27 Dec. 2023
…Now comes the hard work of threading the proverbial needle.
—Matt Laslo, WIRED, 22 Dec. 2023
2 well known by a lot of people; Something that is proverbial is very well-known by a lot of people: WELL KNOWN, famous, famed, renowned, traditional, time-honored, legendary; notorious, infamous
…His mastery of the French language was proverbial.
> proverb (n.): /ˈprɒvɜːb $ ˈprɑːvɜːrb/ c. 1300, in boke of Prouerbyys, the Old Testament work, from Old French proverbe (12c.) and directly from Latin proverbium “a common saying, old adage, maxim,” literally “words put forward,” from pro “forth” (from PIE root per- (1) “forward”) + verbum “word” (see verb). Hence, in the Scriptural sense, “an enigmatical utterance; a mysterious or oracular saying that requires interpretation.”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
pathologist
pa·thol·o·gist
/pəˈθɒlədʒist $ -ˈθɑː-/
: a specialist in pathology
specifically : a physician who interprets and diagnoses the changes caused by disease in tissues and body fluids
…The pathologist’s report found that Andrei died of swelling and hemorrhaging in the brain, but his parents got no answers about what happened.
—Natalia Abbakumova, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024
…McClain weighed 143 pounds, but was given a higher dose of ketamine than recommended for someone his size and overdosed, according to Adams County coroner’s office pathologist Stephen Cina in his testimony.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2024
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster
compartmentalize
com‧part‧men‧tal‧ize
/ˌkɒmpɑːt-ˈmentl-aɪz $ kəmˌpɑːrt-/
to separate into isolated compartments or categories; To compartmentalize something means to divide it into separate sections: CATEGORIZE, sectionalize, pigeonhole, bracket, separate, distinguish, group; classify, characterize, stereotype, label, brand, tag, designate, grade, codify, sort, rank, rate.
…He compartmentalizes his life by keeping his job and his personal life separate.
…Some people compartmentalize their lives and don’t mix their personal and professional pursuits.
…The company has compartmentalized its services.
…The anthropologists have worked in so many disaster zones, they’re used to compartmentalizing.
—Jenny Jarvie, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Sep. 2023
…As a result, this tradition is compartmentalized to regions of the country where the earth is hot enough to cook.
—Erika Owen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Aug. 2023
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
ostensibly
ostensibly
in a way that appears or claims to be one thing when it is really something else; as appears or is stated to be true, though not necessarily so (used for saying that although someone pretends to have one reason for something, there is in fact another reason): APPARENTLY, seemingly, on the face of it, to all appearances, on the surface, to all intents and purposes
…She stayed behind at the office, ostensibly to work.
…He has spent the past three months in Florida, ostensibly for medical treatment, but in actual fact to avoid prosecution.
…The e-mail requested account information, ostensibly to help clear up a “billing error”.
…He shut down the office, ostensibly out of concern for his staff’s safety.
…Troops were sent in, ostensibly to protect the civilian population.
…He was ostensibly on holiday, but actually he was on a diplomatic mission.
…Melissa went to her room, ostensibly to do her homework.
> 1730, “capable of being shown, that can be shown or seen, presentable,” from French ostensible, from Latin ostens-, past-participle stem of ostendere “to show, expose to view; to stretch out, spread before; exhibit, display,” from assimilated form of ob “in front of” (see ob-) + tendere “to stretch” (from PIE root *ten- “to stretch”). Meaning “apparent, professed, put forth or held out as real” is from 1771 + -ly.
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Cambridge Dictionary, Macmillan Dictionary, Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
wretch
wretch
/retʃ/
1 a miserable person : one who is profoundly unhappy or in great misfortune; You can refer to someone as a wretch when you feel sorry for them because they are unhappy or unfortunate: POOR CREATURE, poor soul, poor thing, miserable creature, sad case, unfortunate, poor unfortunate; informal poor devil, poor beggar, poor bastard, poor bunny; British vulgar slang sod, bugger
…The poor wretch lost his job.
…Had this poor wretch been well supplied with friends and money the result, as in numerous other instances, might have been different.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2023
2 a base, despicable, or vile person; someone you are annoyed with; You can refer to someone as a wretch when you think that they are wicked or if they have done something you are angry about: SCOUNDREL, villain, ruffian, rogue, rascal, reprobate, criminal, delinquent, good-for-nothing, cad; informal heel, creep, jerk, louse, rat, swine, pig, skunk, dog, hound, weasel, toad, snake, snake in the grass, lowlife, scumbag, bad egg, stinker, nasty piece of work; British informal scrote, blighter, bad lot; Irish informal sleeveen, spalpeen; North American informal rat fink, varmint; vulgar slang shit, bastard, son of a bitch, SOB; British vulgar slang bugger
…ungrateful wretches
…Who trampled on my flowers? I bet it was those two little wretches who live next door.
…Stop pulling my hair, you wretch!
…Oh, what have you done, you wretch!
…That miserable little wretch would lie to anyone.
> Old English wrecca (also in the sense ‘banished person’) “wretch, stranger, exile,” from Proto-Germanic *wrakjon “pursuer; one pursued” (source also of Old Saxon wrekkio, Old High German reckeo “a banished person, exile,” German recke “renowned warrior, hero”), related to Old English wreccan “to drive out, punish” (see wreak). “The contrast in the development of the meaning in Eng. and German is remarkable” [OED]. Sense of “vile, despicable person” developed in Old English, reflecting the sorry state of the outcast, as presented in Anglo-Saxon verse (such as “The Wanderer”). Compare German Elend “misery,” from Old High German elilenti “sojourn in a foreign land, exile.”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
hearse
hearse
/hɜːs $ hɜːrs/
a large car used to carry a dead body in a coffin at a funeral
…Workers applauded as his hearse passed by.
…Crowds formed at the hospital when the hearse carrying her body departed Monday morning.
—Danielle Paquette, Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2023
…Rosalynn Carter’s hearse was driven slowly down the street, with members of her large family walking behind it.
—Kevin Sullivan, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023
…And just as is portrayed on the show, Prince Philip also planned his own funeral, modifying a Land Rover to carry his coffin instead of a traditional hearse.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 14 Dec. 2023
> c. 1300 (late 13c. in Anglo-Latin), “flat framework for candles, hung over a coffin,” from Old French herse, formerly herce “large rake for breaking up soil, harrow; portcullis” ~ Etymonline
> An early form of French used the word herce for a harrow, a farm tool used to break up and smooth the soil. Herce was also applied to a triangular frame that was similar in shape to the frame of a harrow and was used for holding candles. Herce was borrowed into English as hearse, and both the literal sense of “harrow” and the extended sense of “a frame for holding candles” were kept. In those days a large and decorative framework might be raised over the tomb or coffin of an honored person. Because this framework was often decorated with candles, the word hearse was applied to it. A series of slightly changed meanings led to the use of hearse for a platform for a corpse or coffin, and from that to a vehicle to carry the dead to the grave. ~ Merriam-Webster
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
contraption
con‧trap‧tion
/kənˈtræpʃən/
a machine that is complicated and precarious; You can refer to a device or machine as a contraption, especially when it looks strange or you do not know what it is used for : DEVICE, GADGET
…What’s that strange contraption in the garage?
…Her father’s contraptions were serious machines for heavy industry.
—Kat McGowan, WIRED, 4 Jan. 2024
…It’s a contraption for washing windows on tall buildings.
…Early cameras were large and expensive contraptions.
> a slighting word for “a device, a contrivance,” 1825, western England dialect, origin obscure, perhaps from con(trive) + trap, or deception.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary, Etymonline
shard
shard (also sherd)
/ʃɑːd $ ʃɑːrd/
a piece or fragment of a brittle substance; Shards are pieces of broken glass, pottery, or metal: PIECE, FRAGMENT, bit, sliver, splinter, shiver, chip, particle, scrap
shard of
…a shard of pottery
…Everywhere you look, little shards of glass glistening in the lamplight.
> From Middle English shard, scherd, scheard, schord, from Old English sċeard (“a broken piece; shard”), from Proto-West Germanic *skard, from Proto-Germanic *skardą (“notch; nick”), from *skardaz (“damaged; nicked; scarred”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”). Akin to Scots schaird (“shard”), French écharde (“splinter”), Dutch schaarde (“tear; notch; fragment”), German Scharte (“notch”), Old Norse skarð (“notch, hack”) ( > Danish skår).
> Shard dates back to Old English (where it was spelled sceard) and is related to Old English scieran, meaning “to cut.” English speakers have adopted the modernized shard spelling for most uses, but archaeologists prefer to spell the word sherd when referring to the ancient fragments of pottery (sometimes referred to specifically as potsherds) they unearth. While shard initially referred to exactly such items, today the word is also used more broadly to encompass slivers of intangible concepts. A baseless accusation may be made “without a shard of evidence,” and fans of the losing team may “cling to a shard of hope” until the final score. The utility of shard is its, ahem, point. ~ Merriam-Webster
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary
stench
stench
/stentʃ/
1 a very strong bad smell : STINK
…the stench of rotting meat
…the stench of urine
…The stench of burning rubber was overpowering.
…We finally discovered the dead rat that was causing the stench in the basement.
…The plan was to stay our final night at Eagle Lake, but after three nights and four days in the wilderness, the number of people at Eagle Lake felt a bit much — as did the weight of our bags and the stench of our hiking clothes.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 24 Dec. 2023
2 a characteristic repugnant quality; a bad effect that follows an unpleasant event or situation and is noticeable for a long time
stench of
…a government filled with the stench of corruption
…For some time after the minister’s resignation, the stench of scandal hung over the government.
> Middle English stench, from Old English stenc, stync “a smell, odor, scent, fragrance” (pleasant or unpleasant)
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
